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So was doing some winter maintenance on gear last week and noticed that I've got an issue with one of my Phoenix lines. I whipped a loop in it and have been doing loop-to-loop leader connections. It looks like I've worn through the outer coating and am seeing white silk underneath.
Any suggestions as to what I should use to recondition the coating? And also, what I should do to prevent future abrasions?
Really 2 options : use the varnish recipe (I use the one from Reed Curry's site and have had great success refinishing lines with this method overmywaders.com some neat stuff to read too... I only differ from the method he shows in that I just soak the silk in a big mason jar of finish and wipe it as I take it out.... I wipe the second coat but sometimes its not necessary with soaking the line) You can refinish the whole line or just dip the end. If you're using mono or leaders instead of silk you might put a loop of leader material about 6 inches long with loops on both ends between your line and leader... then frequent leader changes are done on the shorter sacrificial piece saving wear on your line....
If the line finish is in overall good shape you could just snip the end and re-do the loop (I varnish the loop with the same mix as above)
Are you sure that the white you are seeing is the raw silk ? or is it mildew from wetness (the mold that gets into silk if it doesn't dry is white)..... I've ruined one really nice line by letting it mold and it was enough of a lesson that I'm never likely to repeat the incident.........
Reed's varnish should work as mentioned. As far as the loop, I installed a braided loop on a silk line this past weekend and it worked out really well. Check the thread in the Ephemera section.
My only concern about the shock gum is that I wonder if that might make the whole system TOO soft....the wonderful give in a cane rod is probably cushion enough and I wonder if using the shock gum would make hooksets harder.
At this point I'm leaning towards snipping the loop off and either whipping a new one in, or perhaps nail-knotting a mono loop instead.
Seriously consider one of these Moser's minicon braided loops. They work well. I've tried the other brands, Rio, Cortland, etc, the Moser's are quite different and much easier to install and smaller to.
I may have given up on whipping loops on my silk lines because of these Moser's minicons.
Do you fix it with super glue? I like those loops for plastic lines but never tried it on silk lines.... Is this a stable connection? I would be glad if so... then I will use it immediately! :-)
I'd cut it off and whip a new loop. Be sure to carry the whipping up the line at least 3/4" from the point where the two lines join; that provides some transition instead of a sharp hinge point (and, of course, taper the bitter end or pick it apart - as seen here - and cut 1/3rd away). I've had old lines with the whipping two inches or more up the line and you can tell that that loop was in use for years and still good.
The glue seems to have gripped and I tugged on them pretty darn hard and they didn't budge. Long-term I don't know. I guess I'll find out.
Like Reed said in his post regarding whipped loops though, mine have gone a few years with no problems. The only problem I have with them is they are a bit of a bulge to get through the tip top guide. And since the line is doubled back on itself, twice as stiff as the regular line to. I wanted something that would run through the tip top without snagging. I use the minicons on other reels with plastic lines and they work great!
Reed,
Do you have any experience with these things on a silk line?
Grant, No, I've never used those on a silk line. I tried similar loops many years ago on plastic lines but found them too stiff and heavy, causing a flat spot in the cast and tip-sink. These may be better, but seem still too heavy for a delicate silk tip. JMO, YMMV
One feature I really like about my Terenzio DT line are the permanent loops he weaves into each end of his fly lines. They don't create much of a bump between the end of the fly line and the leader. His silk leaders also have woven loops at either end, and you connect the loops together and it just flows thru the rod tip and line guides without any jamming. It's the smoothest connection I have ever seen.
Bill Anderson, SW Missouri
Last Edited By: wb4tjh 01/30/2010 14:03.
Edited 1 time.
+1 on the Minicons. They are really cool little loops that go on easily, are almost weightless, and have a flexibility similar to the line. After I put one on and slide the sleeve over the end I use a small amount Zap-A-Gap to finish the job. I have pulled harder on these than any trout ever would and they stay put.
Phoenix posted onto a UK forum to say that on occasions they have made lines with loops as a special order. I don't know if there is an extra cost to this, I guess it would delay the delivery by some time.
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